Ashfield Legacy
by Darka Silvath
Summary: Alexia Ashford was not always cold and calculating, she did nothing wrong as there were no laws against Bio-weapons when she began her research and as she was unaware of them being passed while in her stasis tank she should not be held accountable for her actions. At least that what Claire Redfield's theory was.
1. C1 Old Friends and Ashfords

Disclaimer: I do not own the Resident Evil genre although writing on a FAN FICTION site should be a clue. This is the only disclaimer you will see as I fail to see the point of repeating the same disclaimer over and over again just to increase my pitiful word count above 3000 words per chapter. I am not making any money off this fic and it is being posted purely to set my mind at rest after a dream I had detailing how different things could have been. This is and AU verse so some events occurred differently and this means that if you review telling me I got a date wrong or a character too out of cannon proportions then you are an idiot incapable of grasping basic NvsN scientific psychological development prospects. – Thank you for your time, but please feel free to give CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. If you think something's bad (other than the summary) then say so this is a relatively free site and you can say mostly what you like with out it being censored.

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Chapter 1.

**Redemption of an Ashford** -

Blue eyes with a tint of both brown and green shimmered in the glow of the bright light. The constant noise and bustle didn't seem to affect the relaxed stance of the young woman as she patiently waited for her flight to arrive. The Santiago airport was filled to the brim with panicky families as well as happy and celebratory faces; however not all was as it seemed. Outside the building a great commotion was in progress as dozens of countless protesters filled the outer lobby clamouring for a chance to get a reaction for the legendary Senator Ron Davis.

Most politicians would be flattered to be the centre of attention, bar a major scandal or catastrophe, sadly for Davis this was the case of a major scandal. Seven years ago Senator Davis had been part of a committee that deemed the only way to dispose of the viral outbreak caused by the multi-national pharmaceutical cooperation, known as Umbrella. It was decided to deploy a tactical nuke in Raccoon city to curb the spread of the viral outbreak in 1998.

While the information at the time was covered up the survivors made it their mission to prove that the fault lay directly in the hands of Umbrella. Following the outbreak and the subsequent escape from the city each took a different stance on their fight against Umbrella's biological horrors.

Claire Redfield turned sighing deeply, no matter what she did, Claire couldn't seem to help reminiscing on the events of the past few years and the horrors she had been subjected to. While the others – bar Rebecca – had taken up the roles of fighters she had preferred the role of 'rescuer' helping the helpless and keeping them from Umbrellas web of destruction.

In January 1999 one year after the incident of Raccoon city Claire had found herself on Rockford Island after being taken from an Umbrella facility in the North of France breaking out of the prison with the help of Steve Burnside and inmate at the prison she had escaped the island. However the crazy Alfred Ashford, who had already made several attempts to kill her under the mistaken assumption that she was leading the attack had followed her and shot her escape craft down over the Antarctic. Surviving the crash through sheer luck she and Steve had split up roaming the facility looking for not only an escape but further answers to the events they had been subjected to.

Sighing once more Claire looked up and smiled a woman with long blonde-green hair was walking nervously towards her, the woman's arms tightly shackled by intimidated guards. Claire waited until the guards had stopped before approaching the party of six.

"Afternoon." Claire smiled, the guards winced before one stepped forward and drew and official looking document from his top left jacket pocket.

"Claire Redfield, Chief advisor for Terrasave International, we of the BSAA hand over custody of Alexia Ashford after her 4 year sentence for experimental bio-weapons research and human testing." With a disgusted look he motioned for the chains and shackles to be removed. The pale skinned woman let a hopeful look creep back onto her face of as the Ashford woman looked up pathetically at Claire. Her expression made it look like she was a wounded puppy rather than an accused homicidal maniac of with a reputation more terrifying than Dr Mengele the Nazi experimentalist herself.

"On behalf of Terrasave International I accept custody of Alexia Ashford in association with the rehabilitation act of 1993 and respectfully thank you for your assistance." Smiling at having completed the official procedures Claire turned her attention back to the guards who were now suburb-speciously making their way towards the terminal exit and onto a return flight.

"Hey!" Claire called out happily, and the lead guard turned briefly to her, "Do you want to come celebrate with us?" Looking at her like she was insane the guards snorted disgustedly before turning and resuming their path to the exit.

"Hmph, bunch of wankers." Claire began to turn before a huge force impacted her at knee length, the startled gasp from the woman at her side let Claire look down to face her attacker, a small child with dark coloured skin and a bright smile greeted her. Smiling in turn Claire regained her balance before picking up the child in elation. "Rani, my you've grown." The girl giggled even as a bustle woman, also of dark-skinned origin, came into view.

"Claire good to see you again."

Hefting the small girl to her shoulder Claire smiled at her colleague from Terrasave Dranjia Mayborne who was escorting her daughter Rani Mayborne. Suddenly a startled gasp cut her off as she looked behind Claire to her left. Rani had begun to whimper. Placing the little girl down Claire turned swiftly; Alexia was sporting a horrific glare upon her face centred at the child and mother who were being so affectionate with Claire.

"Oh I'm sorry," Turning back to the Mayborne's, Claire proceeded to introduce her current companion, "Everyone this is Alexia, she's a very good friend of mine and I came here to pick her up." As the words 'very good friend' left Claire's mouth the expression on the Ashford's face disappeared and brightened immediately combined with a light pink tint to her cheeks.

Looking uncomfortable, recognition clear on her face Dranjia turned, hesitating before heading towards the luggage depositories, turning briefly she called to Claire. "Look after Rani; I'm just going to get our luggage." Puzzled at her colleague's reaction to Alexia, Claire proceeded to call back that it was ok.

Just then a man bumped into Claire. "Oh I'm so terribly sorry..." he spoke apologetically with a thick British accent. As she looked up she was impressed by the man's manner his appearance seemed carefully tailored in that of his professional looking grey suit and the clear glasses gave him the impression of a polite and pleasant person. Of course the easy-going smile gracing his features probably helped refine his appearance.

"Not a problem." Claire replied, happy for the chance to talk to someone intelligent looking as she waited for her Terrasave colleague to return.

"Fredrick Downing at your service, I must apologise for my inconsiderate manner I wasn't being careful enough and I will endeavour to do so differently in the future." Bowing slightly in further apology he turned and sat upon the nearest seat, to avoid standing over him Claire sat down in the seat one across from him.

She heard a growl from her left and turned to see Rani nervously sitting in the seat next to her, with Downing on one side and her colleague niece on the other Alexia had no where to sit except for further down. Looking heart broken Alexia sank into the seat next to Rani, still looking mournfully at Claire. Just then the volume on the nearest airport flat-screen increased as the news report was aired for maximum projection of audience involvement.

The reporter was standing outside the airport with the mob of angry protestors visible within the range of her partner's camera behind her. "Today many protestors have shown themselves due to the imminent arrival of Senator Ron Davis of the Wilpharma, rightly objecting to the un-ethical clinical trials conducted inAsiathe figurehead for the company faces a wave of unending public anger for his barely legal involvement in these events. Also the rumours of a new Wilpharma research lab to be built in Harvardsville has further agitated the crowd and they impatiently await the appearance of the Senator himself."

The news report then switched to a shot of a not-so-happy looking Senator Davis, "Senator Davis, you serve as a special advisor to the Wilpharma cooperation, after viewing photos of their latest human test subjects what are your thoughts?"

A sneering expression briefly made its way on to the balding Senators face before a public mask of innocence attempted to cover his features. "That Halloween is celebrated earlier in Indian than in the US?" Laughing at his own poor joke,Davisturned and walked out of range of the camera. Hearing a snigger across from her Claire turned away from the broadcast to give Alexia a disapproving look as the former Ant-Queen of the Ashford family quickly schooled her face to avoid further dispassionate glances for fear of reprisal.

"Huh, how utterly tasteless." Downing stated as he shook his head and turned back to the screen, as a second thought he turned back to face a startled Claire. "I apologise but people like that man deserve, well… urg." Grunting in disgust he Downing shook his head again in abject disappointment.

"No its okay, I can relate, Senator Davis hasn't just brought his problems here it's like the wacko circus is in town, every new station trying to grab a piece of the action." Resting a hand on Rani's back she smiled calmly. Downing smiled back before hesitantly glancing at his watch before sighing deeply. "I'm sorry but I think I've waited long enough, good day ladies." With one last smile and polite wave Downing made his way towards the exit after picking up a light looking silver attaché case.

Quick as a flash the Lady Ashford had stood up strode purposefully passed the little Asian girl and re-seated herself in the seat that Downing had just occupied. A smug look graced her previously icy features and she leaned her head against Claire's shoulder.

Turning her head to observe the woman Claire smiled lightly before stroking Alexia's head with the tips of her fingers briefly. The Ashford leaned into her touch just as briefly as the fingers had descended. They were interrupted from their oddly intimate moment by the young Asian girls' shouts. "Hey look that's the bad man, that's the bad guy from TV!"

Turning both their heads the two women saw that Rani was facing behind them and pointing directly at a large man wearing a professional looking suit and… a baseball cap? Looking more closely Claire could see the resemblance to the horrible senator she had dealt with in the past. As people turned and pointed at Davis reporters bustled in trying to get close to the Senator, his two body guards worked in synchronised defence with the assigned airport security to keep anyone from getting near the Senators personal space. Suddenly Claire heard a noise she had dreaded hearing since the first day she heard it. It was a combination of a moaning, groaning, breath of desperate destruction and hunger.

The guards turned towards it and reached hesitantly for their guns, the 'Zombie' shambled forward towards them moaning and groaning hungrily at an animated pace. "Stay back," one of the guards had his gun out and the Zombie continued to slowly advance, Claire acted quickly. She got up and strode forward before ripping the mask from the fake zombies face.

"This really is too much!" Furiously she threw the mask on the floor, gulping the man turned to see the incredibly hostile faces of the bodyguards before making a break for it across the lobby. Obviously frustrated at their lack of action the Airport security guard marched up to Claire from where he had been cowering behind the nearest pillar.

"Were you involved in this?" The guard questioned suspiciously, while reaching for his cuffs.

"Well yeah I was…" Click the first cuff was sent over her wrist, "Hey I was just trying to help!" Ignoring her smugly the guard turned away, just in time to flinch at the death glare he was receiving from pale skinned woman in front of him, he hoped it was his imagination but he could have sworn the new woman's eyes had glowed golden brown for a second in anger. Reaching across to where he had started to cuff the redhead the new woman reached out and with two fingers, snapped the metal cuffs in two. Eyes wide in terror the guard stared at the horrific gaze and 'knowing' superiority that washed down upon him.

Before the others could properly react to the situation another groaning was heard, looking back across the lobby three more 'zombies' were making their way towards them, each wearing masks slightly more realist than the first, and stumbling at a slower pace. Courage obviously gained from Claire impromptu attack on the fake zombie a blonde news reporter ran into view confronting the nearest zombie, the man should have been happy to get an interview, but all the fake zombie did was turn and groan hungrily at her.

'Sniff'

Claire stopped startled, Alexia had once told her she could detect when other infected people were near due to the power the Veronica strain gave her in communing with the Hive mind of the T-infected, just like how the Plagas samples that the US government had discovered and used to develop and antigen to kill the parasites cells, with this control like power the lower infected would obey a higher infected and follow its basic commands – in theory – though it was not something anyone had ever had a chance to test relating to the T-virus.

Calling out in desperation to the foolish news reporter Claire tried desperately to save the hapless girl, "No Stop!" but too late the 'fake zombie' turned and took a bite out of the reporters arm.

For a moment their was a stilled silence in the airport terminal, before the panicked screaming started, people ran in all directions as the undead appeared to come out of every crevice of the terminal and then headed for the living with their never ending hunger. The bodyguards started trying to fire into the crowd as Senator Davis hid cowardly behind them. Seeing the futility of staying both guards sized up the Senator before running towards the exit, abandoning their employer, valuing their own lives more than loyalty to their disgustingly obese boss.

Suddenly she felt a draft by her legs and saw that her colleague niece, Rani had run off back towards the seats for cover. Turning she gave Alexia a look who sighed but headed towards the girl, feeling a tug on her sleeve, Claire turned violently to find the poor Senator looking helplessly at her. "Please help…" he stammered off, before she could even think about replying she heard Alexia yelling "Claire, RUN!"

Turning at what she obviously assumed would be infected closing in Claire was shocked to see a jumbo jet baring down fast on the airport and, right towards her. With little time to spare Claire pulled the Senator and began to run for Alexia and Rani. As she heard the crash behind her and the increased screams she gave a final jump and pulled herself and the Senator to safety. Quickly regaining her footing she turned to the crashed plane which had removed the majority of the zombies from the living world.

However the day was not over yet and the giant aircraft was single handily blocking the main exit, hearing a thud as the passenger door was knocked away the four survivors turned to look at it, could it be their were more survivors from the terrible crash. However as the first body began to walk forward, it seemed to forgo trying to climb down carefully and let itself fall dangerously to the ground from the plane.

"No…" Claire whispered as more and more zombies began to exit from the plane, her nightmare had begun again. Quickly gathering her wits Claire pulled the others up and headed for the back exit where the V.I.P lounge was located with the barricaded protection doors encase of an emergency. It was their best bet to contact an outside line and wait for help to arrive.

As they walked quickly towards their destination, the Senators weight resting on her shoulder as he hobbled as quickly as he could, Claire couldn't help thinking back to the Antarctic facility. Everything had seemed simpler there. Solve the puzzles, find the answer to the experiments, and escape the base. With only her and Steve as the 'good' guys and everything else the bad guys it made the situation easier to deal with in her mind, more like a game where if she played to the ruled right she wouldn't, no, couldn't die.

The last few years had changed her; Claire could no longer see the world in black and white. Seeing Alexia, crying, weeping and ready to die after her brother had been seemingly murdered in front of her had left Claire feeling horrified with herself, at Steve's vicious laugh and taunts to the pale skinned woman Claire felt more horrified by the minute. When Steve had reached up to fire the rocket launcher at the girl and 'end the madness of the Ashfords!' Claire had stepped in front of Alexia and pleaded with Steve not to kill the woman.

If things had been different Alexia would have pursued them across the facility with a terrible vengeance, as it was she had merely reached for a syringe and thrown the contents with deadly accuracy at the boy. The needle punctured his eye and forced its way through into his brain killing him instantly. With this act completed Alexia had continued to cry, Claire lost in her own thoughts and comforting the fragile nude woman had missed this event and had simply gone to Alexia and hugged the pale woman telling her everything would be alright. After a moment of stiffness Alexia relaxed into the hug and continued sobbing, albeit at a lessened rate.

When Claire had next turned around she had been just in time to see Albert Wesker standing over the body of Steve his hand grasped around the syringe embedded in Steve's eye. Claire had wrongly assumed that the former S.T.A.R.S Alpha squad captain had ruthlessly added another victim to his list, Wesker didn't even have time to start taunting or explain himself before Claire had unleashed a barrage of bullets into him. The bullets probably wouldn't have hit him if Alexia hadn't chosen this moment to begin her transformation and hurl a ball of fire at him. Too shocked to resist Wesker had been blasted back through a window screen into a dozen oil tanks and from there blasted from the explosion of fire and oil through another window and out of the facilities building onto the icy expanse below. Quickly reverting to her original form, Claire had therefore missed Alexia's transformation and merely begun to plan and escape for herself and the newly awakened Ashford heir.

With her brothers arrival and the helicopter he had secured they boarded their escape craft quickly as the detonation charges that Chris had previously set went off. The journey back to the Olympic Carrier, a naval ship the American government had investigating the incident on behalf of the BSAA was their first stopping point never the less it was an awkward occasion. Claire had objected to the Ashford's treatment and had won Alexia's eternal loyalty, promising to free Alexia as a way of making up for killing her brother Claire had spent the next 4 years actively campaigning and promoting herself into a position of authority within Terrasave International.

But none of that mattered now, she was placed back in a situation where she would need all her wits and strength to survive and keep the people around her safe from infection. During her reminiscence their party had reached the V.I.P lounge as Claire cautiously opened the door she caught sight of Alexia and smiled at the Ashford heir, what ever it took she'd get through this, Claire knew it.

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Chapter 2.

** Old Friends Reunited -**

After phoning through to his cooperate headquarters Senator Davis was remarkably calmer in his assumption that everything was going to be all right. Upon reaching the V.I.P lounge the only occupant appeared to be the serving maid who had stayed in fear of the screams and explosions, in the case of a fire she would have probably ended up burning to death but the fear had instead saved her from a grisly death of infection or being trampled to death by the escaping masses.

Claire felt a tug on her sleeve as her friend's nervous niece looked worriedly up at her, before flinching from the rather customary growl given by Alexia. Claire was beginning to find that Alexia was rather jealous of anyone being friendly with the redhead in more than a professional working manner. Then again Alexia had spent four years in a bio-terrorist prison facility, compared to the fifteen years she'd spent in that glass tube it had to have been better, but that was still nineteen years that Alexia had missed out on experiencing life to its fullest.

While patting her colleague niece on the head she turned to the surviving Ashford heir and gave her an apologetic smile, instantly the previously grumpy expression vanished in a flash replaced by a briefly innocent blush before resuming once more to the obviously grumpy persona that Alexia had spent years of perfecting herself on. As they waited for the rescue team that Davis had been promised Claire thought back to the years of campaigning actively in Terrasave once she found all the normal channels blocked relating to the matter of Alexia's freedom.

Originally Terrasave had been based in the United States but with Claire's careful work and promotional ideas she took control of the weak 'hippies' who had started the environmentally based organization. After months of careful planning she had manipulated the board into creating a sub-division of the company to deal with overseas problems, this was only her first step however and compared to dealing with her brother Chris, it was infinitely easier.

Chris tended to be manipulated easily enough but his short attention span and hot-headedness tended to get the best of him when he forgot everything he had agreed to, thankfully the Terrasave board had been far easier to control. Claire wondered if the things she'd done to take control of Terrasave hadn't been a bit selfish as a Redfield her drive to complete a task could be as unstoppable as her brother but unlike him Claire didn't know if her reasons for taking control of the company made her any better than the cooperate tycoons who had used their power and influence to control Umbrella. It was not a comparison she enjoyed but Claire was always worried of becoming a monster, it was easy to reassure herself that she'd done it for the good of the world. After all what could a bunch of weapon fearing hippies really _done _against cooperation's like Umbrella, other than launch protests and sign petitions.

Not much that's for sure.

With Claire at the helm, Terrasave International had taken control and assimilated the smaller protest groups on animal rights and environmental problems and accumulated them into one big Umbrella hating army. It wasn't hard to convince the paranoid schizo's that Umbrella was behind the majority of animal testing and environmental catastrophes that had plagued the world in the last few decades, heck for the most part Claire didn't even have to fake evidence to convince them. Umbrella doomed itself from the beginning, it sometimes even seemed to Claire that Umbrella kept spilling dangerous viruses on purpose, but that was absurd. Umbrella was just incompetent, powerful and dangerous, but incompetent.

Of course this was probably what made them a more dangerous combination of their opposing enemies in Terrasave. The International part of the company had given Claire more sway over important issues and finally letting her call in favours and re-arrange informational distributation. By 2002 Claire was the Chief Advisor for Terrasave International and behind the scenes she controlled the company. Finally in a position to do something about the remaining Ashford's imprisonment, after a year long campaign all the promises Claire had been given of even a trial for Alexia had fallen through and Claire's visiting rights had been revoked.

In the following year Claire initiated a crack down on terror campaign that led to more than twenty-eight successful raids on bio-weapons technology and their development. In the summer of that year Claire publically announced that the US government was run by a lying tyrant who refused to give a trial to an innocent women, convicted of biological experiments on animals _before _ the idea of even protecting animals had been remotely established. Revealing the imprisoned to be the 'child genius' Alexia Ashford and playing heavily on the fact that Claire herself would not release a bio-terrorist/scientist Claire organised a public trial. In 2004 the trial took place and with the evidence Claire presented the verdict was unanimous.

Alexia Ashford would be transferred and released in September 2005. The final decision to release Alexia was made when she demonstrated her ability to transform into not only her enhanced form but that of a giant ant, who's blood was not only capable of exploding after more than three seconds contact with the air, but who could spit acid. By displaying Alexia's abilities Claire was taking a chance, but it paid off when she informed the Court that Alexia's peaceful nature would not allow her to use her powers against others.

While laying this on a bit thick, Claire was so close to finishing her promise and giving the Ashford's life new meaning again in the modern world.

Once the trial's verdict had passed Alexia was to be given a month to prepare for life in the outside world, however with the fear of Alexia's powers it was decided her care could not go to just anyone and for this Claire stepped in again offering herself as guardian to the remaining Ashford.

Seeing the sky darken outside Claire looked over at Alexia who was lightly dozing on the comfortable sofa next to her, Rani had her head laid gently on the Redfield's lap while Senator Davis swirled his coffee brought by the anxious maid who cast frequent glances at the one door, barley barricaded (the Senator had stubbornly refused to give up his seat for the barricade). Outside a light shone against the window, for a moment Claire thought it was the moon. Suddenly the sound of the whirring blades of a helicopter became present. The surrounding party of survivors looked up and drowsily moved to the window.

Down below the entire front of the airport was filled with tents and camouflage painted army vehicles. Smiling smugly, Davis turned and sat back down once more swirling his coffee in its cup rather than drinking it. As Claire watched a black Chinook landed and a mob of blonde hair was briefly visible in the over lapping search lights before it disappeared into the inky black of the perilous night.

"Hah and just think If I wasn't here then they wouldn't have sent anyone to get your out!" Laughed the pudgy man, the sneer once again distorting his glaring features, Davis seemed the epitome of a stereotypical politician, snide and two faced with the ability to get under everyone's skin bar his own supporters.

"Of Course they wouldn't have had to come for you if you ants had not abandoned you like a faulty queen." Claire groaned, sometimes she really wished Alexia didn't use metaphors it really wasn't something she was good at, a brilliant scientist but quite inadequate in nearly every other field. Claire still remembered a rehabilitation release session where Alexia had order the stove to fetch her a servant to turn it on. She had finally hit the stove in frustration and it was pure luck that a small portion of her blood had ignited and burnt through to the gas control, lighting the stove ready for cooking.

Claire had decided from that point on to never let the Ashford near cooking equipment again for all their sakes; she was more likely to cause a biohazard in the kitchen than in any science experiment. Over the years of fighting for Alexia's freedom Claire had sent the girl gifts to keep her mind occupied, Dolls were the foremost as remembering the Ashford's room Claire thought it might calm her. The younger Redfield had also sent science and history magazines to help the Ashford catch up with the progressions in the world since her time in isolation.

The Internet had been the biggest surprise as its steady progression and expansion had amazed the Ashford heir in a way she would never have thought possible. Claire found that Alexia had an untold innocence behind her sneeringly cold exterior. The girl had grown up in a family of inbred psychopaths and had pandered to her families delusions to the best of her ability, in the process Claire believed that Alexia had lost some of her sense of reason.

Still as she turned to face the puzzled Senator, Alexis did have a point; Davis was awfully full of himself for a man begging on his knees hours before.

"What are you talking about you daft woman?" demanded Davis furiously. "Ant hills and Bees? What are you taking?" Considering Alexia hadn't even mentioned Bees, Claire wondered if the Ashford's metaphor had really been _that_ confusing to someone unused to Alexia's way of talking. Or if the Senator really was _that_ stupid.

Suddenly there was a thud followed succinctly by two more right above their heads. Everyone was silent for a moment, Alexia was the first to move, tilting her head curiously the Ashford looked at the ceiling puzzled.

"What was that?" Cowered Davis as he shrunk into his seat more, letting the coffee cup fall loosely in his hand. Warily Clare approached the door reaching towards the coat rack for something that could be used in her defence it an attack was imminent. Feeling a hand on her shoulder she half turned to see Alexia standing firmly behind her, a stubborn look plastered across her face. A succession of loud bangs, resembling the discharge of guns signalled a terrified scream from the maid.

'sniff' "Three non-infected humans have entered the premises, they are heading this way."

Claire smiled as Alexia easily sussed out the situation, it looked like their rescue team had arrived already. Of course this bit of good new didn't seem to help the Senators personality.

"Are you joking? Its probably just some nut that found a gun and shot off at some infected. He'll run out of ammo and be dead pretty soon… if he's not already." The maids shocked gasp was all Claire needed to be spurred into action once more. Her keen rescuer personality reactivating now the first horror of the situation had past.

"I'm going to go out there and find them; if they haven't been infected I'll bring them back here." Before Claire could get any further she felt Rani impact her legs again for the third time that day. Holding tightly to her one link to her family Rani cried bitterly into the redhead's trousers.

"Don't go, people always leave, they always say they'll come back…" pausing to take a deep breath Rani carried on her tirade "My father promised he'd come back, but he didn't and then…"

"Oh stop whining you snivelling brat." Alexia's harsh voice cut through the air like an axe through flesh. Claire snapped her gaze back up to face her with a shocked look with visible disapproval clearly apparent. Wincing at the look she was getting from her the Ashford heir hesitantly backed off, obviously not wanting to offend one of her few friends any further.

"Look do we have anything that can be used as a weapon?" The room erupted into movement as everyone bar Davis and Alexia made a frantic task of searching for a suitable weapon Claire could take with her on her unwise excursion back into the viral infested areas of the airport building. Finally with the search completed Claire stood at the door ready to leave. "Thanks." She smiled briefly at the occupants of the room. "Don't open this door for any except me or the rescue team; it wouldn't do to get infected from someone's careless mistake." With nods of agreement all round the doors to the V.I.P lounge were opened and after a brief look outside into the dimly lit corridor, Claire stepped through the door.

Just as the door was about to close after her another figure stepped through as the doors swung shut with a barely audible click and scratch of wood. Looking at Alexia's worried face Claire smiled before looking at the weapon she had been handed. "Hmph never saw this coming…" Claire snorted as she held the red and dark pink striped umbrella in front of her. Alexia stepped in front of her the stubborn expression replaced the worried look in an instant.

"I'll protect you."

The words were spoken with such incision that Claire was sure that Alexia could break someone with just her voice alone if she wanted to. Claire considered asking Alexia to go back and protect the others, but time and again Alexia had proven that her loyalty was to Claire and not anyone Claire liked or even held respect for. Sadly Claire had become disillusioned and now understood the way the world worked, meaning she no longer had a wide range of figures to draw inspiration from.

"Alright, let's go then." Smiling and trying to think of better things Claire started cautiously down the long corridor, just because she had someone like Alexia as backup didn't mean she wasn't going to take her usual precautions. As she advanced Claire called out, not only was this method a useful way of attracting survivors but it would mean infected would have to come round the corners first giving her a chance to escape, or for Alexia to kill them. As she called further she reached up and tied the umbrellas holding cord to make the umbrella into a more club or spear like weapon.

Cautiously she turned the closet corner hearing a 'sniff' from Alexia she waited for an update, "There are now four non-infected heading this way, however I also detect a small group of infected heading this way to."

Sighing Claire continued on, her guardian angel watching her from behind.

As she turned the next corner a light was shone into her face, then two simultaneous voices overlapped, "Claire get down," "Get down, now!" Years of highly trained reflexes and the luck of a Redfield let Claire dive for the ground while the bang of a gun as a bullet flew thought the air where she had just been. Four more shots occurred, taking down her would-be infected attackers. A hand reached down to help her up as the sound of more footfalls headed towards them.

"Claire, nice to see you again." Looking up Claire saw with joy that the face greeting her belonged to an old friend, Leon Scott Kennedy a fellow survivor from Raccoon city.

"Leon," the redhead smiled up at him and accepted his hand, looking past him she saw a blonde haired woman, her hair tied back in a firm ponytail while a clean shaven black haired man with a startling resemblance to her brother stood behind her. Both were wearing Search and Rescue Team uniforms and were packing the equivalency of a personal army of weaponry on them. A dark-blonde haired man stepped out from behind the female SRT soldier and smiled hesitantly, it was one of the aides Senator Davis that had fled towards and exit in the first wave.

Turning they began to make their way back to the V.I.P lounge as Claire stayed relatively silent, Alexia moved closer to her and reached down for Claire's hand. Surprised but happy to oblige Alexia with affection to keep her in a good mood Claire briefly held her hand in turn as they continued carefully back to the room.

"Is this it?"

"Yep."

"Reinforcements?"

"None."

"Is it too much to hope you at least have a plan!"

"We're gonna run across the lobby."

"Are you completely frigging insane! The lobby's crawling with those things, its suicide!"

Claire tuned out Leon's battle plan with the Senator constantly objecting to every idea Leon put on the table. As she comforted Rani Claire heard a further growl she looked up briefly to see Alexia holding a showdown stare contest with the man of Leon's accompanying rescue team. Smiling at how far Alexia had come in her development of social skills Claire started to think back briefly to when Alexia's response to an insult had been to either throw the insulter into a wall or smash them over the head with the nearest large object. Before she could reminisce further on the past she heard Leon arguing that it was necessary to leave through the wider area. Seeing that not even his team was agreeing with him Claire decided to back up her old partner.

"He's right, if we're going to escape taking the wider area route seems more sensible, less places for an infected to surprise us from and their not exactly fast, if we conserve ammo and only take head shots we shouldn't have a problem getting out with out any casualties." In surprise at this unexpected back up the Senator turned his attention to her instead.

"What! And we should just listen to you why?" Davis burst out furiously.

"Because she's one of the rare survivors of the Raccoon city incident." With that Leon turned to stare into the distance obviously experiencing a flash back to a time when he too had suffered at the nightmarish horror of the cities infection and destruction. The other members of the room turned to each other all asking the same question in whispered tones, 'She survived Raccoon city?'

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	2. C2 Mistrust and Focus

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Chapter 3.

**Focusing Efforts **-

Leaving the room had been difficult, but in the end Alexia just grabbed the Senator impatiently and lightly through him out on his arse, to the great amusement of the majority of their party. Trying to find any humour in the dark situation had been terrible but the Ashford's actions had brought a ray of light to the survivor's hearts – well bar Ron Davis of course.

"Are you trying to get us killed?" obviously silence wasn't something the senator was good at unless it involved avoiding making press statements. Climbing to his feet with difficultyDavisturned to face his rescuers, indignant irritation covering his face. "How dare you treat an elected official in such a disrespectful manner?" The pudgy faced senator practically bellowed towards them, a few disgusting pieces of spittle landed themselves on the front of the blonde agents' jacket. "I don't care if that stupid slut did survive Raccoon city all that means is she was fast enough to suck off some guard who let her out – urk."

The senator let out a choked scream of fear as Alexia, who had been steadily growing more infuriated with each passing second, lifted the man up with one arm her now taloned hand clutching tightly around the inconsiderate senators neck. A sneering mask of a tormenter well versed in the arts of torture gazed up at the man lifted above her head before after hesitating for a moment threw her captive into the wall with enough forces to dent the cheap plaster. With a groan the senator sat up rubbing his head, directing his fearful gaze towards the Ashford heir he tried to scramble back further into the broken plaster of the wall corridor.

One of the accompanying marines turned his gun which had been briefly focused on the terrifying Ashford and aimed it at the terrified senator. "Wait I'm sorry she's not a whore! I'm sorry I didn't mean to insult your girl-friend. Please!" the man begged with frantic speed. The gun sounded and two shots impacted near the senators head. "Let's move. Now!"Leon's voice brought the group back to attention, poking through the plaster was the front maw of a dog, a dog which whose flesh had become damaged and had already begun to decompose.

Obviously one of the other VIP guests had ignored the quarantine rules and brought their pet into one of the VIP lounges to keep them company causing the animal to become infected by the outbreak. The completely dead dog's mouth was opened and inches away from sinking its teeth into the Senators shoulder. The plaster had been weakened enough for the poor beast to break through and take advantage of the easy prey before it. Frantically pushing himself away from the terrific find the obtuse senator scrambled with all haste towards the rest of the party.

Claire however was now looking annoyed again, though it looked like she couldn't decide who she was more annoyed with Alexia orDavis. Alexia on the other hand was looking strangely content. "Stop messing around or you're gonna get us all killed." The Redfield demanded as the group began to move again, Senator Davis nodded desperately. The Ashford heir still had a content smile on her face, whether from inflicting violence on someone or from a stray thought Claire was unsure, neither did she want to ruin her temperamental Ashford's mood. As the party continued down the dark corridors Claire pondered one of the comments made by Senator Davis and poked the man in the back with her finger making him flinch in dear. "And another thing Alexia isn't my girl-friend."

"I'm not?"

The whole party froze, before turning to look at first the Ashford and then back to Claire. Claire turned hesitantly the faint smile was gone and replaced by a look of hurt desperation as If she had just been abandoned by all she held close to her. "Well er… no?" Claire questioned cautiously, hopping she hadn't misunderstood something in their relationship, she saw Alexia as a younger sister if anything else more than a friend. It was then the accompanying guard with the itchy trigger finger spoke up again for the first time, since making his complaints upon the escape plan ofLeon's. "You know if you don't want to admit it we don't mind but you should probably make-up with your girl-friend, maybe a nice kiss to cheer her up?" He had barely finished his intrusive question before his dirty blonde haired partner slammed her foot into his toes before smashing him over the back of the head with the light side of her automatic. A snarled grimace of "Oh Gregg" could be heard before the soldier regained his footing and chuckled sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

Suddenly Claire realised that it was another new age slang that the Ashford heir was not used to yet. "No I'm not her girl-friend." She reiterated while Alexia's expression sank deeper into a solitude of depression. "I'm her friend who happens to be girl." Alexia's head snapped up, faint tear drops disappeared instantly while a slightly confused expression adorned her beautifully pale features. "Now we should get going." A cough fromLeonand a nod were her approving answer as the party started up again. A soft padded sound was making its way towards them while the majority ignored it Claire and Leon froze, a second later a sniff from Alexia confirmed their horror. It appeared they had moved out of the VIP suite but that the quarantine zone was not quite as secure as a British airport, both had heard the sound many times before while escaping the nightmare of Raccoon city, it was the sound of an infected Doberman. Doberman seemed to be the only species of dog that once infected became faster stronger and more intelligent; they partially bonded with the virus before losing themselves to more primal instincts.

When Claire had travelled with Sherry through the car park of the police station she had shielded Sherry's eyes on more than one occasion. Not because she was trying to spare her from the horror the poor girl had already witnessed but because the Redfield had figured that Sherry probably didn't need to see two undead dogs in a mating frenzy while bits of flesh fell from their bodies due to all the shaking. On the plus side the dogs had been to busy 'going at it' to notice the two humans passing so close to their territory, but it was one more nightmarish horror that Claire thought her protectee could do with out.

Quickly coming out of her reprieve into the past she refocused on the present. "Three low-level infected heading this way, at high speeds?" Alexia questioned confused at the reason low level infected would be even able to move faster than a slow stumble. Drawing their heavy weapons and moving to the front of the party the two soldiers aimed their weapons whileLeonheld his ground cautiously, observing the situation.

Hearing a sound of separated thuds and groans they prepared themselves, as the party reached a quad-junction in the hallway. Bounding past them ignoring them completely two infected dogs ran past them, a long lead attached was dragging what must have been the owner but was now just another zombie-like infected man. They continued further down into the adjacent corridor and out of site. The group stopped and stared, Claire's eyes bulged in disbelief. That had to be the weirdest thing she'd ever seen infected doing – including when she caught the dozen un-dead dogs rutting against each other in Raccoon city – not even including that one of her friends could turn into a giant ant. She was very relived whenLeoncommented "Well moving on.." and pushed past the two soldiers to lead the party to safety.

Some how the building around them had taken steps to crumble, the initial assault of having a plane crash into it couldn't have been very healthy for the building but moving past the pillars in the main corridor Claire couldn't help be reminded of the madness of the Rockford Island Mansion and its hidden pathways. It seemed to Claire, sometimes, that some idiot had let an accountant design everything and letting them near planning designs was never a good idea. Everything always seemed to end up extra complicated. If there was one thing Claire abhorred it was complications, maybe there was a side effect of her position but she had gotten used to getting around minor legal issues that seemed to exist just to make her life difficult.

They had managed to progress through the 2nd floors main corridor and as they approached the stairs Clare heard Alexia sniff before sighing deeply, "A mass number of infected are ahead, it seems to be the basis for a horde." The armed members of the group took out their weapons more obviously and got ready for the long-haul.

Psyching herself up Claire lifted Rani up into her arms for a better accessible protection scenario. As they emerged into the open area corridorLeon took the lead gunning down each infected with calculated quick hits. The Inexperienced soldiers continued to fire with minimal accuracy wasting the majority of their limited ammunition rounds. At first Claire had been the same, the beginning of her nightmare inRaccoonCity she had wasted many bullets with her inaccuracy and failure to aim for the head of her targets. When Aiming she had always aimed for the legs, the chest and just over the head. This mistake had caused her to run many times and barley survive her first encounters with the monsters of the Umbrella cooperation.

As the rest of the party progressed in the near centre, Claire was forced to swing to the left of the corridor and near one of the tall cement pillars, an infected emerged at close range, startled she from the encountered foe Claire stumbled to the side, Rani swung to her waste before being deposited roughly on the floor. Scrambling to her feet she was just in time for Claire to pull her to relative safety asLeonreleased another series of accurate and calculated shots to the open air, easily taking down the threats. Behind them the Ashford heir was decimating the majority of the small horde refusing them the majority of access towards the remaining survivors.

While Leon was distracted the solider 'Gregg' was struggling to maintain his calm and was shooting off a broad range of rounds only clipping the majority of his targets, he therefore failed to notice the infected that made a grab for his shoulder as he continued to hoist the Senator to safety. Luckily the infected wasn't tall enough to bite the aforementioned limb and only forced the two to stumble. With a frightened yell Davis was sent stumbling to the floor while his rescuer turned to face the infected, he didn't have to as a second later a tentacle impacted through the infected's head, continuing through and destroying another that had been creeping up from the male soldier's far right which happened to be the Ashford's left.

With a scorned look and a quick nod from Gregg he turned back to protecting the Senator while Alexia bought the group, and her beloved Claire, more time.

While reaching the level had been hard the final escape looked near impossible for those who hadn't suffered the horror of an outbreak before. The floor had caved in and while this made getting to the ground floor easier, it certainly did not make it safer. Sliding down the ramp like surface could be achieved but the rubble at the bottom increased the chance of injury, combined with the active threat from the surrounding infected Claire could see that this situation wasn't close to being resolved yet.

As the party assembled and Alexia blocked the doors with… a door? Probably from the plane, Claire planned possible outcomes and strategies in her head, but once moreLeon's military based mind resolved the situation faster. "Right, now we've got a chance at this." Pausing he looked for any nearby threats before reloading and aiming at the nearest 'zombie' on the floor below. "We'll take out the nearest and try to clear a path, then slide you down here, one by one." While Claire could see the merits of this plan she wasn't sure on its practicality, she was starting to wonder ifLeonknew her brother Chris from the competence of his plans. Chris was a quick thinker, but not one to think his plan all the way through. Though her brother usually escaped relatively unharmed, the majority with him did not seem to share his luck.

Being the Chief Advisor for Terrasave International was a job that had grown to enjoy but Claire had lost some off her brothers support from her actions over the years, it had taken him a good few months to notice her change in attitudes and still insisted seeing her as a glorified little sister to be babied and kept safe like some porcelain doll. She had not seen Chris since he'd objected to Alexia's release at her trial, he'd said that she was as bad if not worse than Wesker and then proceeded to order Claire to stay away from the monster before it corrupted her. Claire had never listened to a direct, uncompromising order from her brother before and wasn't going to start not. That had been her reaction. Since then they hadn't talked, seen each other or even briefly communicated through their friends. Claire couldn't help but wonder if he'd even care if he found she'd been in another outbreak or if he'd just arrive hug her; tell her off and proceed to accuse her friend Alexia for the attack.

Either way it didn't matter now, with heavy trepidation she turned her attention back to the battle. Not for the first time wishing she'd commandeered a weapon from Leon or one of his solider escorts. With three armed crack shots taking down the field of undead, the rest of the party hovered at the brink, Senator Davis had become increasingly grumpy now he was not in any immediate danger, this was easy to judge by the increased speed of his complaints though from Alexia's lesson earlier they now lacked a great deal of ferocity.

"Can't you kill them any faster!" Claire looked over to the right, trying to ignore the troublesome man, while Rani clutched desperately to her waist in terror her eyes closed to the horror encompassing them. Observing the right area appeared to have paid off as a smaller horde had been approaching from her direction, quickly gathering her wits she set about alertingLeonto the fact that his plan was already seeing a few floors. Frankly Claire was amazed that no one had died yet, then again maybe it was the Redfield luck preserving them, though she couldn't help but think maybe she was being a little arrogant. Claire didn't want to turn into Chris over night.

"There starting to gather to our right, guys you might want to lay down some fire here too!" She didn't have to wait long as the Ashford heir hurled another piece of rubble at the approaching foes. Needless to say this act of violence didn't reassure the others, "We're not going to make it out of here are we, well not alive anyhow?" Davis was getting even more whiny by the minute and the battering on the barricaded stairwell behind them was beginning to breach.

Nevertheless even with Alexia's support Leon rushed over, reloading his favourite pistol on the way, the 44. magnum was slow but its power offshoot any difficulty, pity he was stuck with a desert eagle and .357 bullets though. With a quick corny catch phrase which Claire ignored, Leon pulled the hammer back on his gun and set about taking down as many of the gathering swarm as possible. Angela the blond haired female, soldier backed her blonde counterpart up while the terribly inaccurate 'Gregg' continued to lay down a wide birth of fire over the far-off horde's shambles.

"Aiiiiieeee!" A scream startled all of them as the, air hostess fell back from a crack in the crashed plane where she had been cowering. The crack was now swarming with infected as they stumbled, groaning out of the crack. Turning his sights on the shambling opponents Leonquickly opened fire dropping the first few while the male solider turned and pull the terrified woman to safety. While Claire's attention was occupied the panicking Senator had pushed himself to the brink, the next sound Claire heard made her whirl around in horror. "Rani!" The senator had slid down the stone rubble to safety from the approaching horde but in his haste had knocked the poor Asian  
girl down as well. While the senator had landed roughly, Rani had at least been fortunate to bounce off a dull blue hamper bag.

Without even thinking things through first Claire hurled herself off the brink and down to the frightened girls defence. Hugging her tight she turned to shield the girl from the approaching undead. Claire needn't have worried, for the next second a burst of fire shot down from above scorching the 'zombie' to burning ash in seconds. Past the infected hordes Claire could see the accursed Senator actually pause in his break for freedom and look in terror as something behind them. "SCHREEE!" Hearing the frenzied bestial scream a happy smiled adorned Claire's face, with room to move in the open area the small party now had a huge advantage. Alexia giant ant form leapt into the fray, cutting down infected after infected. Impaling some while setting the others ablaze; Claire continued to smile even when she caught the giant ant's two red glaring eyes.

The monstrous form of Alexia Ashford hesitated for a moment before seeming to nod; it then turned back to its slaughter, clearing a far more impressive path than the soldiers had done so far. "You alright?" Turning to look up past the rubble to the previous level Claire gaveLeona nod whilst ruffling the Asian girls' hair. "My, Claire you've certainly got friends in high places these days." At first she thoughtLeonwas taunting her official position but then looking up she chuckled, Alexia was hanging from the ceiling again. The Redfield had wondered how exactly the Ashford did that she transformed into an ant, not a spider.

As the rest of the party dropped to the lower level, lights flicked on in the distance. The few remaining stumbling undead turned towards the new source of noise and movement and resumed their shambled stumbling with a vengeance. "Head toward the Light!"Leonshouted, as the party broke into a light run Alexia brought up the rear covering their retreat. As they exited the building Claire pushed Rani intoLeonand the special agent stumbled for a minute before grabbing her, giving Claire a puzzled look as the Redfield turned to return to the main outbreak area. "I've got to get Alexia," she managed to get out before darting back into the building. Inside the foray the Ashford heir was still throwing periodic blasts of fire at the surrounding hordes but with her earlier attacks the amounts remaining, while still numerous were now severely depleted.

"Alexia! That's enough we're safe, you can stop!" The Ashford paid no heed to Claire's words immediately and continued to unleash her fury against her foes, of course Alexia had spent years in prison she must have a lot of anger to work through, Claire thought. Another fact might be the contempt that the Ashford held for the T-virus, in comparison to her own Veronica strain, 'V' beat 'T' hands down. "Please?" Claire smiled tugging gently on one of the long legs; Alexia hesitated then shook herself free and scuttled back. A bright green light enveloped her form, in actuality it was the meta-phasing proprieties of her acid that had to be reapplied to her skin so she could shift back into her second-evolution form. Claire knew better than to approach her yet and the Ashford heir stood and the acid ran down her form causing welts that in turn caused her blood to be released setting fire to her body's outer skin and burning away the remnants of the deadly acid.

With the grey and plant-like form now in place, Claire smiled sadly at her friend and went to comfort her. A further shake and the grey skin faded to pinkish white and her companion reached for her unsteadily. The force of pushing herself through a genetic-recombinator in the time-span of a few seconds would be risky with a team of lab technicians in a controlled environment but to be accomplished quickly and seemingly easily by the Ashford in this time-span was impressive to say the least.

Taking off her white Jacket Claire hosted it over the Ashford's shoulders to try and preserve a modicum of the heir's modesty; she needn't have worried as Alexia didn't seem at all perturbed by her state of nakedness and proceeded calmly to the exit. Nevertheless it didn't stop Claire from catching up with her friend and stubbornly draping the jacket over her shoulders anyway. As they left the entrance the marching soldiers on the way in only gave them a brief professional glance before they took up shooting positions ready to clear out the building of any and all remaining infected forces.

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Chapter 4.

**Explosive Negotiations' - **

The Survivors' all made their way over to the V.I.P.Q.T or Very Important Person Quarantine Tents, while the soldiers were informed of their need to be de-briefed Rani ran to the fence, her worried guardian pushing against it trying to reassure her young charge that it was all going to be alright, while more soldiers held her back to keep the quarantine zone intact. Once assured that Rani was alright Claire absconded to her now primary priority; reassuring her charge, Alexia Ashford, last of the Ashford Family. Alexia seemed to have taken the outbreak in her stride but Claire was still worried, not only had the poor women been only properly released hours ago but now had to contend with the public outcry of being present at Americas' second worst bio-terror event of the last decade.

Looking around Claire spotted Alexia she was being leered at by the obese senator, having had enough of the man's impudent attitude Claire took the most calm and responsible attitude she walked up to him and punched him in the face. "GAAGH!" Ignoring his strangled cry as the Senator clutched his nose in agony; Claire turned to face the Ashford heir and gave her a calm smile. "Now are you alright, dear?" Alexia had smiled at the punch and looked touched until Claire had added the 'dear' part to her enquiry.

Choking and still holding his nose while two soldiers tried to help him to his feet the Senator looked like he was preparing for a rant, Claire didn't give him time and spun once more before cruelly kicking the man between his legs. "EEEh-ooofh." The shock combined with the pain and the man dropped to the hard tarmac ground in further agony. "Congratulations, your stupidity could have gotten a young girl killed tonight." Furiously the Red-head turned her families temper away from the irritating man and back to the Ashford heir. On the ground dark green eyes cringed as the grey-suited man clutched at his multiple injured areas. "So are you ready to go now?" Alexia produced a rather amused smile as the _man_ beside them mumbled a rather pained "_mummy…_"

Blushing from the smile she was getting from her friend the Red-head made to turn taking Alexia's hand in hers, "Now let's get you some proper clothes." Before they could get anywhere there was a shout and the sound of running feet. "CATI!" Groaning Claire turned to see one of her many assistants running between the guards towards her. The woman had short dark hair startling blue eyes and a pair of large round glasses perched and subsequently practically falling from her nose. Dressed in a dark-green uniform fitted with the sliced leaf logo Claire had re-designed from the original logo with a gun overlapping, finally heavy black boots adorned the young woman with her black tracked trousers. Sophie Gallio finally reached her boss panting as a few of soldiers arrived to try and drag her back and away from the quarantine zone.

Sighing, the Redfield released the Ashford heir and made her way forward to the struggling girl. "Sophie, I've told you not to call me that, it's just '_Claire_', alright." Once more Claire Redfield cursed the day that one of her assistants' had contented the name CATI as her designation, while it did make sending her papers faster it was very annoying for general conversation and extremely humiliating, but Claire had, had to except sacrifices as the organisation was still predominantly made up of people with hippie like attitudes. CATI stood for **C**hief **a**dvisor, **T**errasave **I**nternational. The name itself had stuck and when trying to pass on information quickly it had been delegated that Claire was not only one of the most senior members of the organisation but the easiest to approach.

"Calm down and tell me what's wrong." The girl looked startled at something behind Claire but restored her attention to the Redfield quickly enough. "It's WilPharma!" Immediately her attention snapped back to her assistant. "What! What have they done now?" The young woman swung free off the soldiers again long enough to stop her glasses from falling off before proceeding. "There coming here, they've been authorised to use their new vaccine, someone presented the order to the president and he accepted." Damn. Claire cursed in her mind; they'd been blocking the Pharmaceutical Company for months over the issue of their supposed new vaccine. The company had been holding back its release until the USgovernment revoke Order 679 of the constitutional amendments. The order had been put in place before Umbrellas holdings had been seized and the company forcibly shut down. The order prevented any company from legally experimenting on human test subjects no matter the cause, or even if said subjects had _claimed_ to sign consent forms. In total the company had been blackmailing theUnited States into removing the law before they would hand over the vaccine.

Claire personally didn't think much of the supposed _vaccine_, for one it only worked on humans, people with AB Negative blood (while rare) were immune to it and vaccination didn't stop another infected from biting you to death. All in all for what the company was asking in return Claire didn't think it was worth the price and now thanks to this incident the order had been revoked and the drug was being administered soon. There was nothing she could do, if she refused to allow people to take the vaccine then Terrasave would have the blame placed on it and if she did nothing then all the work would be for nothing anyway.

Suddenly the Redfield felt a hand in hers, the Ashford had stepped forward and in a rare display of emotion had tried to comfort her in the best way the emotionally stunted woman knew how. Besides Claire had achieved things and better than that, she'd finally secured the Ashford's release, this wasn't so bad after all. She'd also acquired a lot of political blackmail to employ on her own, if Claire moved quickly enough she could ensure a more semi-permanent victory over not only WilPharma but the government that had approved Umbrellas actions to begin with.

Taking a moment to collect herself Claire sighed then prepared herself for the worst, "lets get your some better clothes first, eh?" her Ashford nodded but did not release the grip on her hand. Turning towards one of the military on site operations tents the Redfield pulled her companion on, as she made it to the tent, she called back to her assistant. "Get Robert from the lawyer's office on the phone and make sure we register a injunction, don't make it public, also get Sally to start writing up press briefings on how the promised vaccines seem to have been ready to deploy before the 679 amendment was pushed through." Red hair swaying in the light breeze Claire entered the tent leaving her assistant to finish scribbling down notes on her Personal Data Assistant (PDA for short).

-0-

Once equipped in a more professional uniform, though originally belonging to that of a startled solider, they departed for arrivals quarantine zone. Claire arrived just in time to see the first WilPharma operatives' starting to open the trucksLeonwas nearby talking to… wait wasn't that? "Fredrick, what are you doing here?"

Turning in surprise the grey suited man, smiled slightly before nodding to her, "Mrs Redfield." Walking out from behind one of the trucks a revitalized Senator Davis came to stand next to Downing, before smugly introducing the man, as he did so all Claire could think was 'why do I have such bad taste in men?' "He's WilPharma's Head researcher. It was his work on the T-virus that made this vaccine possible, may I introduce Fredrick Downing." The Redfield could only stare in shock at the two men "I bet you thought the infection in the terminal was an attack by WilPharma or a terrorist attack by members of the former Umbrella Corporation?" To be fair Claire still thought that, but she wasn't about to reveal this until she was ready.

She ignored the droning voice of the obese man, until she heardLeon's voice "Claire its true." The redhead wondered what he'd been agreeing to from the Senators' little monologue, maybe she should have been paying more attention after all.

"The Terrorists' attacks inIndiawere the work of General Grundy's Peace-Keeping forces, WilPharma arrived in time to treat the infection and test their vaccine to try and save lives, and they weren't just randomly giving out vaccines and hopping for the best." The agent gave a quick nod to Angela and Gregg who were stoically stationed beside him.

"Unlike Umbrella we like to plan, plan and then implement scenarios after covering all possible outcomes, we don't want to end up creating Bio-terror incidents unlike the unprofessionalism of the Umbrella Corporation."

It was a nice speech and a good sentiment further but Claire could no longer bring herself to trust this man, he had sat next to her, not recognized her and considering his position with WilPharma Claire thought this coincidence was a little too suspicious. Limping forward the Senator smirked, "Just think if you and your little 'Peace Playing Force' hadn't been protesting then WilPharma could have inoculated the entire population by now." While they nodded in unison and the red-head and her entourage received a further pep-talk from WilPharma's new propaganda machine, Claire was desperately formulating plans in her mind, the only way she could see clear now was to take the blame for the delay. Downing had seemed interested in her, maybe it was because the company had told him to spy on her or maybe he just wanted her for her body.

The Redfield had lost a lot of her innocence in that regard, Claire knew she was attractive, and was saddened to say she took advantage of it when meeting with the opposite sex for business deals. She'd never had sex with any of them but she'd played the teasingly-innocent girl up to its limit to fast track results. Downing could be the weak link and if so she'd exploit it up to and beyond the hilt. The propaganda machine was drawing to a close and with a start to her knew plan Claire was ready to proceed.

"So this is all my fault, if I hadn't campaigned against the human testing then…"

Leon spoke up, interrupting her casual confession "Claire we still needed permission from the appropriate Indian authorities to test the vaccine political pressure from the public didn't impact this decision in any way, it's not your fault. Besides you were…" at this the dull-blonde turned his head to look at the Ashford heir standing beside her, "Pre-occupied."

Claire knew the situation was out of her control know if even Leon was siding with… wait what had Leon said? '_Claire we still needed permission_' Oh fuck! Leon was working for the government, the government that Claire suspected had known about Umbrella's testing of B.O.W the abductions of citizens for testing and the Nuking of the city to cover-up and contain the situation. Kennedy might be an unwilling or knowing pawn but in this situation Claire could no longer count on her old ally for support, she was on her own.

With nothing more to be gained from this disastrous turn of events the red-head turned on her heel and headed into the nearest tent to be alone.

After a while Leon entered the tent, and approached the redhead as she sat on the chair awkwardly, the two SRT team members, Gregg and Angela hovered awkwardly at the tent flap. "Claire this wasn't your fault, the villain's here are the ones who used the virus, worse than them are the ones who made it." Letting out a deep breath Leon started pacing, "Seven years ago, our lives were changed forever, Raccoon City stolen from the face of the earth, by the virus from Umbrella Corp." Turning to face the redhead the government agent hesitated again, "Umbrella Collapsed, but their viral legacy lives on. You took the path of a saviour, I of a destroyer." Claire looked up startled by his admission, "You try to save those caught in events like these, while I hunt out its instigators and end them before they can poison more lives with their hate."

"You chose the role of rescuer, rather than fighter like me, we both make mistakes but it's better to try and fight evil than to stand by and let it spread." Looking up at Leon, Claire could help but wonder who Leon was any more, he'd always been a take charge kind of guy but he really sounded like he believed in this. "You choose a path that your brother and I couldn't follow, you weren't wrong you just took a different approach."

"Though to be fair you could tone down the aggression a little bit." At this Claire's jaw dropped before she burst out laughing, sobbing and crying all at once at the absurdity of the statement Leon had uttered, machine gunning government special agent Leon Kennedy had just informed her that she was the violent one. Clapping a hand down on her shoulder Leon smiled, now lets go save some people – alright?"

Nodding the Redfield stood and they made their way to exit the tent.

-0-

They had just made it outside, Downing was looking worriedly at Alexia and rubbing his next, the Senator was looking a mixture of smug and constipated. Stepping forward the head researcher addressed her directly, "Miss Redfield perhaps secrecy is at fault here, if we'd made it more clear on what we were hoping to develop we might have received more support. On that subject I was wondering if you'd like a personal tour of WilPharma's newest research lab?"

Startled at the suggestion Claire was about to reply when the party were rocked of their feet from a nearby explosion, climbing wearily to their feet the redhead first noticed the destruction of the vaccine carrying trucks, beside her Downing hadn't even bothered to get to his feet he was just staring blankly at the wreckage a shocked expression marring his previously calm face.

"That offer of a tour sounds like a pretty good idea right now, maybe we can find out who was behind this." Placing a hand gently on the head researchers shoulder Claire nodded towards Leon and they began to help the devastated man to his feet. Army soldiers swarmed around the trucks with fire extinguishers while trying to help the few workers in hazmat suits who had been in the process of unloading the trucks contents, but were now scrabbling to safety or attempting to put out the fires that had started on or around their clothing.

Cries of help and pleading were commonplace, it was eerily similar to Claire's time on the Ashford's home island but by the time Claire had gotten outside the majority of the facility had been dead and so she had just seen the fire, not having to listen to the cries for help. Raccoon city had been similar; the shocked panic that had ensued left citizens with only fleeing as there option for survival, calling out was just asking for trouble and to attract the attention of either the undead or Umbrella's clean-up teams.

Taking charge of the situation Leon strode forward, "How soon can you get more vaccine here?"

Looking helplessly at the government agent, Downing replied slowly "We can't everything we had was in those trucks, we had to scrape it together from samples inside to company, we barely had enough with us to successfully treat everyone." Eyes widening the dull-blonde turned to the Senator before bringing his attention back to WilPharma's head researcher. "Do you think they could be after the research data, and destroying all other samples to prevent us having a cure?"

Slowly as if coming the same conclusion Downing nodded his head, "Yes it's possible but then the only people left would be the lead researchers who worked on the vaccine and myself who coordinated the whole thing." Just then a solider rushed up and saluted Leon, "Sir, report in from HQ, Hunnigan says that all of the lead T-Virus vaccine workers have been assassinated!"

"What!" A collective shout hit the party, "They must be going after the data?" Downing looked like he was panicking now, Claire couldn't blame him if the data was to disappear he'd be the only one left with the capability to re-make the vaccine, it hadn't been a very effective vaccine in the Redfield's eyes but it was a starting point to making a better solution. "Do we have any leads? Anything at all?"

"If they're going after the data, then that's where we should head next." Addressing Downing Leon made the plan know, "Take Claire with you she's got knowledge on surviving outbreaks and will keep you safe while you get a copy of the research data." Turning back to Davis, "Senator We'll escort you to safety…" To the redhead's surprise, the Senator shook his head.

"No, the data is more important I'll go request reinforcements, you get going right now!"

Nodding Leon turned again, "Right. We'll get suited up, Claire you go on ahead and get to WilPharma, take this." Passing the redhead a standard issue glock pistol. The Ashford heir who had been silent through our planning spoke up, "I'm with you." It was a statement, practically an order, but it made Claire smile, if Chris had said something in this situation it would have been to tell her to go home. But the blond was putting her faith in Claire and someone with Alexia's abilities would be too valuable to pass up even if she hadn't offered herself up for the task.

"That's settled then, move out!"

-0-0-0-


	3. C3 Evolution and Degeneration

Chapter 6.

**Internal Outbreak **-

Claire was furious, hitting Alexia hadn't helped her feel better and she was trying not to cough from anymore dust, a little warning would have been nice is all. Alexia had secured the redhead carefully in her arms before jumping out of the once window. Her virus enhanced body let her jump further than Claire had expected and the next thing the Redfield knew, the pair were jumping from ledge to ledge to the top of the facility.

The debris that had been stirred up meant more dust and more coughing from her but that hadn't stopped the Ashford heir in her progress. Slowly but surely the pair were making their way to the security centre of the WilPharma facility.

-0-

In the garden area Leon and Angela had arrived and were searching for any sight of the instigator, The troops they'd brought with them were cutting off all exits before they would proceed to the central chamber. "Hey Leon I've got something." Turning to his current partner the dull-blonde took the practically empty field-use syringe from her grip, the remnants of the syringe showed a purple substance, worryingly similar at first glance to the colour of the G-virus.

The sound of someone stumbling towards them caused both to look up quickly raising their guns, defensively. Wearing a large green hooded overcoat and a dark blue buttoned shirt that had seen better days the man grunted before falling to the ground, "Curtis?" Leon looked in surprise as Angela dropped her gun to the side and ran to the man, he batted her arm away and collapsed, torn grey jeans adorned his waist, and a silver case was clutched tightly by the handle in his other hand. "Friend of yours?"

Looking back up at Leon, the pigtailed-blond replied "Yes. He's my older brother," turning her attention back to the man she queried him further, "What are you doing here?"

"I refused to let the government cover up the Raccoon City atrocity, I refused to let them re-write the truth as they saw _fit_!" practically spitting out the words Angela's brother contemptuously glared at the badge on his sisters uniform. "So when I finally learned the truth, I swore I'd make them reveal it, no matter what it took. Raccoon City will never happen again!"

Doors burst open on each sides of the garden centre and the troops who'd been searching for the intruder poured into the room, levelling their guns for any sign of movement. "My partner was inside the organisation, trying to bring it down. But he lost his nerve, didn't want a recurrence of Raccoon City, so he planted a bomb to blow up this place. But even at the risk of causing an atrocity I will reveal the truth in my own unique way!"

With that last comment the man surged to his feet his body buckling, veins popping out, tendrils shot from his back tearing his clothes, his arm began to shrink and elongate, the one with the case tossing it away. The other grew large and fat the fingers merging until only three remained nails grew sharper, bones jutted out making new powerful claws.

Dirty pale skin turned red and dark, patch spots spreading as the body twisted and turned. Screaming Curtis Miller practically ceased to be, the final nail in his transformation completed as a giant eye formed in his right shoulder muscle. Taking a moment to focus on Leon and the other soldiers the creature waited and then roared for the world to hear "TRUUUUUUUTH!" and surged forward.

-0-

While the soldiers engaged the target with the help of Leon above them in the secure security room, Claire was observing the scene before her, on the Prototype High Definition Cameras that adorned the entirety of the facility. The first thing she had noticed was that not only was the data being recorded and copied it was being wirelessly uploaded to a nearby computer, the Ashford heir was guarding the door while Claire frantically tried to find the source of the transmission while simultaneously keeping the viral containment procedures from dropping the entire garden centre into the silo's underground furnace, Leon and his team included.

On the screen two soldiers held back a horrified Angela whilst Leon and the soldiers opened fire on the mutating G-Infectee with everything they'd got. As the firing continued the three taloned hand bulged before two more bone struts extended and further elongated into claws. As the creature moaned and collapsed the captain ordered a cease-fire. "Belay that order." Leon shouted, "Keep firing and someone go get some heavier weapons, it's not even finished its first mutation cycle yet!"

As created from the storm of bullets cleared the creature still standing slowly stumbled before falling on its knees with a sigh. "Guess they don't make em' like they used to ey special agent?" the captain commented, "All right prep for clean-up, let's take care of any remaining zombies while we're here."

It was at this moment with the mutation of the G-virus infected present that the Redfield found she could no longer hold off the system, "Warning a lethal Bio-Hazard has been detected in the Garden Centre, Commencing Sanctification Protocols" the voice sounded out calmly as if announcing the eradication of any organic materials in the area was a natural and harmless one. Red lights blared across the facility, "Warning a lethal Viral Strain has been detected in the Garden Centre, Commencing Sanctification Protocols." As the message repeated Claire noticed a change in the instruction, hitting the intercom she yelled desperately across it, "LEON it's getting back up!"

It wasn't much but agent Kennedy's luck seemed to hold as he threw himself into a sideways role dodging the charging form of the mutation, the squad Captain wasn't so lucky as the creature barrelled into him and impaled him with its long spindly claw. The other soldiers reacting in terror quickly reloaded and resumed fire, Leon dodged around keeping the creatures attention on him, every time a group of soldiers managed to inflict enough damage for it to pay attention to them, a repeated shot from the special agent into its gigantic eye was enough to distract it again. With any other B.O.W the Salami tactics would be most effective but with G it adapted to the bullets and damage as they struck key, and not so key areas on the target.

In this case slice by slice tactics just wasn't going to cut it.

"Fire in the hole!" One of the soldiers had obviously taken Leon's advice because he was carrying two grenade launchers, Leon dived out the wait as the solider pulled the triggers simultaneously. Twin grenade shells sliced through the air towards the target impacting with force and explosive power. With a huge groan the creature collapsed and the tired soldiers took a large sigh of relief.

"Sanctification Protocol is now in effect." The computer sounded again and began to spray liquid down on them, coughing sounded as the men tried not to swallow the substance, "What is this?" more than one of the soldiers questioned. "Anhydrostesannol?" Leon queried. "Wait that's the chemical that's made to burn twice as effectively as napalm with a single high grade spark!" Panic had begun to set in, "And we're coated with this stuff!"

"It's all right calm down, we just need to leave now the computer will deal with the rest."

-0-0-0-

* * *

Chapter 7.

**Fire Flood **-

The intercom flared again, "Leon, I'm glad you're okay and I hate to rush you but that things still got high life signs registering!"

"Sanctification Protocol is now in effect, Incineration will commence in T-minus 5 minutes." Leon was starting to see what Claire had meant when she said Umbrella facilities had really irritating computer warning messages, he didn't need to hear the same thing again, distracting him every few seconds as he tried to plan his escape. Unless he had a bad memory it wasn't like he was going to forget the impending possibility of him burning to death existed. "Sanctification Protocol is now in effect, all exits are now sealed." Okay well that sucks.

"Leon I've overridden the door on the far side of the room the one with access to level 0, if you can get to it I can guide you out of the building." Smiling Leon nodded at where he guessed the redheads voice must be coming from. "Get all survivors to the door, now!" hurriedly the soldiers began to assemble and help the few injured from the first attack to the doors, as the doors unlocked with a click the soldiers surged out of the room. As the last one left Leon stopped, himself from leaving he hadn't seen Angela, and turning back he saw her sitting by the monstrous G-virus mutant gently stroking its shoulder.

"Angela!" the special agent sprinted back into the room, grasping her arm just in time to pull her clear as the remnants of Curtis Miller stood up and made a swipe for her. Shaking the stunned girl, Leon pulled her further away from the monstrosities advance. "It wants you because of your bloodline connection, you smell familiar to it and it wants to use you as a breeding tool." Angela clutched the Kennedy like a lifeline staring helplessly at what was left of her big brother. "That thing isn't your brother anymore, Curtis is dead."

"Sanctification Protocol is now in effect, Incineration will commence in T-minus 4 minutes."

"Leon RUN!" Claire yelled frantically into the intercom, picking up the data backup copy and the files she'd copied from WilPharma's server, the Redfield limped towards her Ashford. Gathering her bundle carefully in her arms the Ashford sprinted down the corridor and out into the main lobby, the soldiers Claire had been evacuating were making their way to the entrance of the research facility. A door burst open behind them and Leon sprinted through tugging Angela behind him. Roars and crashes echoed back from the central garden chamber.

"Sanctification Protocol is now in effect, Incineration will commence in T-minus 3 minutes."

As they burst out the front doors Claire shouted to the assembled personnel. "Is that everybody?" A few puzzled faces were her reply, "Yes why."

"Good." With that the redhead drew out her phone and hit the send button sending a signal to the facilities computer system to initiate the Incineration immediately.

"Sanctification Protocol is now in effect, Incineration has commenced."

An explosion shook the building and seconds later sections of it began to collapse into the ground disappearing into the old missile silo below. Gigantic metal doors closed shut leaving a big empty space where the facility used to be and now no trace of its existence remained at all.

"Well that went better than I thought it would." Claire winced as the combined glares of everyone present, bar Alexia turned on her. Looking for anything to distract her fellow survivors from her comment Claire pointed at a nearby phone box, "Hey look someone vandalized a phone box, that's something you don't see every day." Claire was saved from further embarrassment, as even the Ashford heir raised an eyebrow at her unsophisticated comment, when the sound of the a clock chime came from the artwork Claire had seen on her way into the building it wasn't just a model of a cellular structure as the Redfield had first suspected it was an old fashioned clockwork design, the chiming could only be heard outside the facility and it seemed it rang every half hour according to the counter.

But Claire had heard that same noise when talking to Downing on the phone system; suddenly the pieces were beginning to fit together. Not to mention the stock data she'd found on Senator Davis, Davis and Downing couldn't have been connected Davis wouldn't have sabotaged his own trucks when getting the vaccine out, he couldn't restore the public's faith in the company if the vaccine supplied by WilPharma wasn't used to help the survivors of the terminal incident. Downing on the other hand, would be in for a fortune, a sample of the T-virus, G-virus and his vaccine, all to be sold on the black market. His involvement hidden after his noble death as witnessed by the Chief advisor to an international human rights organisation.

The truth hit Claire like a flood, all the information, all the clips she hadn't quite been able to place, all coming together.

"Leon I need you to get a triangulation on all wireless data packets exceeding a 12 gigabytes transferred in the last half-hour, the transmission should have been through the facilities network and the instigator won't be far from the upload point!"

Nodding though puzzled at the request Leon assembled his troops "All right people let's move!"

A few seconds later Hunnigan spoke on Leon's direct line to HQ, "Leon, good to hear you're okay, I did as you asked only one source transmission matches your request and its 2 miles from here on the east road mountain, the data's still transferring." Smirking to Claire, the agent nodded, "prep a car and get me two choppers and an APC for transport." With a further smirk to those assembled, "Let's go get our terrorist!"

-0-

The car drive was a fast track Angela sat in the front with Leon, Claire had taken the back this time to be with Alexia. Subtly the redhead slipped her hand into the Ashford's, a startled glance was all she received and Claire was about to withdraw the hand when Alexia leaned into Claire's shoulder. The ride was spent in uncomfortable silence, Leon kept his eyes on the road, Angela looked pitifully out the window, probably reminiscing over her brother and Claire and Alexia leant against each other for support after a trying day.

As they drew to the top of the roads outlook Leon turned on the fog-lights to give the full glare of the cars furry on their opponent. Downing was dropping a cigarette as they arrived sitting up the four unlocked their respective doors and got out of the car, one hand raised to cover his face from the heavy-bright lights. "You were supposed to come alone?"

"I just wanted to see your face one more time…" Claire snidely commented as she strode around the blonde SRT member, the man's eyes widening even under the glare of the lights. Leon and Angela both brought up their weapons, a shuffle on Leon's side of the car made Claire notice the absence of Alexia. Turning off the lights Leon strode forward one hand on his gun the other steadying himself to get behind the car door if he needed to avoid gun fire.

Quickly WilPharma's apparently former head research pulled his own hidden gun into view, the small revolver ancient in design but still able to cause deadly amounts of damage in its small six shot holder. "Don't move, I have the last of the vaccine and the development data, this is all that exists in the entire world! The rest is gone!" While Claire still had the backups she hadn't had time to go through them yet, if the data was incomplete, no she couldn't risk it. The group collectively began to lower their weapons.

"Yes that's right; you three can now appreciate the situation better than anyone, having just been involved in a bio-terror incident, not to mention your time in Raccoon City or Rockford Island." Smugly Downing continued. "Mankind will need this data." The gun he was holding wavered once more as he turned it back on Claire. The Redfield in turn was watching Alexia sneak up behind him, "Funny you should mention Rockford Island." Puzzled Downing looked at again as the gun wavered over to Angela, "Why's that?"

"Because its owner is standing right behind you."

The puzzled expression on Downing's face change to horror as the Ashford heir strode forward and with one flick of her slightly cut palm splattered a barrage of combustible blood over the left side of the former WilPharma's head researchers face. The man had only a second to touch his free hand up to the blood before he dropped the gun he was holding and screamed in pain as fire erupted on his fingers and face.

Brutally Alexia hammered her palm into the back of his head before smashing the criminal to the ground.

Another scream sounded from the man as the new anointment of blood cause his already greying hair to catch fire, desperately clawing at his already burnt face Downing pulled out his hair in an attempt to separate the safe potions from the fire. A helicopters' light shone on the scene and Angela stepped forward to cuff the criminal, Leon picked up the virus research data in the case and Claire picked up the Laptop.

As Alexia backed off, the team of military soldiers that had helped assault the WilPharma facility with them, closed in. Police Cars drew up and eager officers got out ready to take their part in apprehending the terrorist responsible for the airport terminal massacre.

-0-0-0-

* * *

Chapter 8.

**Settling In **-

Come morning the mounting top was clear, all evidence had been retrieved and all parties involved were looking forward to a good night's rest, Claire had been contacted by Leon to inform her that her hunch was correct, furthermore Fredrick Downing had confessed to everything in exchange for taking the death penalty of the table. Claire believed the man deserved to die for his actions but she wasn't worried people that couldn't pull through for the people they were selling or dealing Bio-Weapons to have a habit of having said failures disappear from _accidents_. The man was a good as dead already; he just didn't know it _yet_.

Fredrick Downing had been responsible for selling the T-virus to General Grundy, he'd even acted as the Black Market Broker for the G-Virus, obtaining it for WilPharma and then stealing it back, he managed to get paid three times for the same sample. He'd stolen copies of both the T and G viruses right before the Raccoon City disaster, luckily Downing hadn't been insane just immoral and decided he wouldn't sell them until he'd developed a vaccine. So Downing had erased his past and then found employment with multiple rival corporations of Umbrella, until joining WilPharma to gain un-restricted access to their research facilities. He had confessed to enjoying the luxury of searching for potential customers while having subordinates experimenting for him, all of the gain from the virus none of the risks.

The most recent terrorist attacks in India had been staged for the General's benefit a sort of 'twisted sales pitch' as Leon had described it. Curtis Miller had just been a tool to Downing, a willing participant for a test of the G-Virus in a combat situation. Ron Davis had resigned his position after being accused of breaking insider trading regulations and using his position to increase his own wealth.

Claire walked sternly on, the crowds were seating themselves now, the campaign board had made her statement clear, and she was accusing WilPharma of blackmailing the American government for the release of human testing agreement approval and then not even following through with their end of the bargain. Alexia watched from the crowd as the Redfield strode proudly onto the stage; behind the Redfield was a huge banner. 'Redfield for President' adorning it.

_- Just the Beginning. _

-0-0-0-

* * *

**Exodus Chapter** -

"Please Alfred, we can leave here this eve and you can practise cross-dressing like your sister in a place not filled to the brim with monsters and zombies."

"Alas Claire our love could never be…"

"But oh why not dearest beloved?"

"Well you see dearest Claire, we're not related."

"er… what?"

"To maintain the purity of the Ashford line we constantly marry each other and have children with siblings, for the very purpose of continuing the line."

"Right… and you're a family of geneticists?"

"Yes?"

"Just checking."

-0-

"Aack!" with a start Claire awoke from her nightmare, she'd been back onRockfordIslandin the room were she had first discovered Alfred Ashford cross-dressing as his sister Alexia. She'd heard from Chris that his nightmares were of failing to save her or other friends and family in zombie outbreaks, the lone-Redfield wished her nightmares could be as noble but sadly they seemed to consist of previous enemies asking her out on dates or confessing their love to her. Rising from her bed she turned to see the remaining Ashford heir sleeping beside her, still wrapped in a blanket and fancy night shawl.

Escaping from the jaws of death, yet again had been a struggle that even Claire's Redfield courage had feared for but they had pulled through safe and sound.

-0-0-0-

* * *

**Christmas Omake Chapter:** -

_Ashwards:_

"Alexia…"

"Yes Claire?"

"Why do you have mistletoe hanging from your waist?"

"You're supposed to kiss what's under the mistletoe, obviously."

"!"

-0-0-0-


End file.
